Your welfare as a parent or carer of a special needs child is, in many ways, as important as the journey that your child is going through. At NAPA, we understand that planning, arranging and ultimately attending therapy is a full time job and are here to support you as best that we can. Members of our management team are ‘NAPA Parents’ as well, with children who have and still do, attend NAPA for therapy, so we have some understanding of the challenges you may be facing. At any time, please feel free to reach out to us for advice, assistance or just a sympathetic ear.
We also have the other following initaitives to help support you in your journey as well.
NAPA therapy sessions don’t have to be just for your kids. If you are looking for some assistance on how to build therapy into your home routine or support your children to continue some of the exercises they have recently done at NAPA – then why not schedule a parent session or telehealth session with us? Your therapist can give you great tips on home exercise programs and customise the exercises to your home environment including the equipment you may have available to you.
Throughout the year we routinely host parent information evenings on topics relevant to you and bringing up your child. They may be therapy based, but ultimately are designed to provide you with information and guidance. Previous topics have included CPR/First Aid courses, School readiness, parent support and navigating the NDIS. Keep an eye on our Australian Facebook Page for up to date announcements on our next NAPA Nights event. Our NAPA Connects evenings are held throughout the year and are all about members of the NAPA community connecting on a social level with like minded people. These events will also be announced on our social media platforms and notices will be posted in our clinics as well.
Craniosacral Therapy (CST) is a gentle treatment approach that uses light touch to help the body relax by easing restrictions in the tissues, restoring the body’s natural rhythms, and calming the nervous system. Did you know the best way to support a child’s regulation is through your own regulation? When we slow our own body rhythms – including heart rate, breathing, and nervous system activation – children’s body rhythms naturally tend to slow down as well (through a process called entrainment). Let’s be real – this has been a tough year even without the stress of caring for children and day-to-day adulting. Give yourself a chance to de-stress a little bit because when you’re calmer and your children are calmer, it’s a win-win situation!
Craniosacral Therapy is now available in our Sydney clinic through our qualified craniosacral therapist and occupational therapist – Maggie Rosenberg. Sessions are 45 minutes in length and we will do our best to coordinate this with your child’s existing therapy schedule. Your first session will be provided as a free trial, with subsequent sessions charged at our regular occupational therapy rate.
The greatest support you can receive in your journey may just be from people you don’t even know yet! Our NAPA community is a powerful way to make quick connections, especially when searching for answers to questions or support from others who are going through similar challenges or have children with similar diagnoses. Our Parent’s room at NAPA is the best place to make these connections where we have literally witnessed lifelong friendships and support networks formed! Our social media networks are also a great source of information, inspiration and support – here you will be surrounded by our beautiful NAPA community, where you can ask whatever question you like! We have both our official Australian Facebook page (run by NAPA) as well as the parent-run NAPA Australia Parents Page.
As a registered NDIS Provider, we have enlisted the services of TIS to support any families who may require the assistance of an interpreter during their sessions at NAPA. Please let us know in advance of the assistance you require (which sessions, preferred language) and we will make the necessary arrangements on your behalf. The Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) provides interpreting services to people who do not speak English and to agencies and businesses that need to communicate with their non-English speaking clients. These services enable non-English speakers to independently access services and information in Australia. TIS has access to over 3000 interpreters across Australia and more than 160 different languages.
